Ten tried and tested dietary habits to improve
your health, body composition, and performance

Habit 1: Eat every 2-3 hours

Research has demonstrated that eating every 2-3 hours is one of the most important changes you can make to your diet. Regular feeding intervals stimulate the metabolism, balance blood sugar, and improve health, body composition, and performance.

How many meals should you eat? Aim for 5-6, or simply divide the number of hours you are awake by 3 (i.e.: 15 hours / 3 = 5 meals)

Should you eat before bed time? Yes! Forget what you’ve heard before, it’s not true, promise. You’ll be fasting for 8-9 hours during sleep; your body will need those nutrients!

Snacks are not meals! Each meal is a feeding opportunity, the opportunity to make your body better or worse. Besides if you’re eating every 2-3 hours you won’t have time to snack.

Habit 2: Eat complete, lean protein with each feeding opportunity

It’s critical to eat some complete, lean protein with every feeding opportunity. Women should aim for 20-30 grams of protein per meal and men should aim for 40-60 grams per meal. By doing this you’ll be sure to maximally stimulate your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and recovery

Habit 3: Eat vegetables with every feeding opportunity

Science has demonstrated that in addition to the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) packed into veggies; there are also important plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that are essential for optimal physiological functioning.

Even more interesting: veggies and fruits provide an alkaline load to the blood. Since both proteins and grains present acid loads to the blood, it’s important to balance these acids with alkaline rich vegetables and fruit. Too much acid and not enough alkalinity means the loss of bone strength and muscle mass.

Habit 4: Eat veggies and fruits with any meal; “other carbs” only after exercise

Eat non-fruit and non-vegetable carbohydrates (i.e.: simple sugars, sports drinks, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc) during and within the few hours after exercise only.

But can’t these carbs make you fat? Not as long as you save them for the workout and post-workout periods. In fact, the best times to consume these types of carbs are on upon awakening (breakfast) and after your workout (post-workout).

Habit 5: Eat healthy fats daily

About 30 % of the diet should come from fat- not much less, not much more. However, special care should be made to ensure that this intake is balanced between 1/3 saturated, 1/3 monounsaturated and a 1/3 polyunsaturated fat. By balancing out your fat intake, health, body composition, and performance can be optimised.

It’s important that you include fish oil supplements in your nutrition plan. Fish oil supplements improve body composition (that is, they help you lose fat and look leaner) and protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.

Habit 6: Don’t drink beverages with more than 0 calories

Fruit juice, soda, and other sugary beverages should be completely eliminated from the diet. Even fruit juice? That’s right. Contrary to popular belief fruit juices have virtually no nutritional value whatsoever and are certainly no substitute for actual fruits and vegetables. Drink water or herbal tea.

Habit 7: Eat whole foods instead of supplements whenever possible

Your food intake should come from high quality whole food sources that conform to the other 9 habits listed here. While there are certain times where liquid nutrition supplements or protein bars are useful (during and immediately after exercise or while travelling), your daily dietary intake should be composed of whole largely unprocessed foods. When it comes to vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, no pills can even come close to what good old fruit and veggies contain.

Habit 8: Plan ahead and prepare feedings in advance

The hardest part about eating well isn’t necessarily about understanding which foods are good and which foods are bad. Nor is it understanding proteins carbs and fats. Nor is it understanding when to eat certain foods. The hardest part is consistency. Sometimes good nutrition is not about the food as much as it is about making sure the food is available when it is time to eat. Come up with useful food preparation strategies in order to ensure you can consistently get the nutrition you need, when you need it. Failing to plan is planning fail.

Habit 9: Eat as wide a variety of good foods as possible

Most of us eat in a very habitual manner ingesting similar breakfasts, lunches and dinner’s day in and day out. Boring but easy. Find healthy alternatives to the foods you habitually eat. Be sure to eat a variety of protein sources fruit and vegetables sources etc and rotate them.

Habit 10: Plan to break the rules 10% of the time

An important thing to remember is this – your diet does not have to be perfect 100% of the time. The difference in results between 90% adherence and 100% adherence is negligible.

BUT, you have to be sure what 10% really means. For example if you are eating 6 times per day for 7 days of the week – that is 42 feeding opportunities. Since 10% of 42 is about 4, you get to get 4 imperfect feeding opportunities per week. These imperfect feeding opportunities include both junk food and even skipped feedings. Therefore, if you break even just one of the ten rules that counts as one of your 10%.

Reference
Dr. John M. Berardi, PH.D, 2005

Vitamins	Nutrient for	Wonderfood sources
Vitamin A/ Beta Carotene	Antioxidant, protects skin and internal skin- lungs, gut, eyes, reproduction, immunity	Apricot, broccoli, carrot, kale, sweet potato, pumpkin, melon, watermelon, egg
Vitamin B1	Energy production, nervous system, carbohydrate processing	Beans, sunflower seeds, fish, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, molasses, chicken, turkey, lamb, egg
Vitamin B2	Energy, skin, nervous system	Almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, oats, spinach, yogurt, Egg, fish, chicken, turkey, lamb
Vitamin B3	Energy, nervous system, moods, blood sugar balance, cholesterol balance, stress response, hormonal balance	Chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, seeds beans, lentils, soya, yogurt
Vitamin B5	Energy production, bodys stress response, regeneration of cells, anti-inflammatory, immunity	Egg, fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, soy
Vitamin B6	Energy production, nervous system, moods and brain power, hormone balance, protein digestion, immunity	Turkey, lamb, fish, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat avocado, banana, seeds, beans, lentils
Vitamin B12	Brain and nervous system, red blood cell formation, lowers toxic homocysteine, cellular energy and reproduction	Eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, yogurt
Folic Acid	Brain and nervous system, especially in foetal growth, cellular energy and reproduction, moods, cardiovascular health, red blood cell formation, lowers toxic homocysteine	All fruits, beans, lentils, soya, spinach, kale, parsley, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat
Biotin	Energy production, fat and amino acid processing, skin, hair, nails	Egg, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, fish, seeds
Vitamin C	Antioxidant, collagen formation, skin, blood vessels and gums, aids iron absorption, immunity, helps protect against illness, allergies, pollution, stress and aging, anti-inflammatory	Blackcurrants, berries, broccoli, cabbage, citrus fruit, sweet pepper, kale, kiwi, papaya, spinach, tomato, watercress
Vitamin D	Helps calcium usage, bones and teeth, some cancer protection	Fish, eggs, yogurt
Vitamin E	Antioxidant, immunity, protects skin, brain, circulation, hormones, cardiovascular system	Almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, seeds and seed oils, egg
Vitamin K	Blood clotting, bone building	Alfalfa sprouts, kale, parsley, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green tea
Minerals	Nutrient for	Wonderfood sources
Calcium	Bone building, muscle contraction and relaxation, regular heartbeat, blood clotting, nerve transmission	Almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, seeds, kale, spinach, broccoli, canned fish, yogurt, molasses
Chromium	Processing of carbohydrates and sugars, blood sugar balance, works with insulin	Chicken, turkey, lamb, egg, fish, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts
Copper	Production and transport of red blood cells, iron absorption, antioxidant	Fish, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, seeds, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat
Iodine	Forms part of thyroid hormone	Fish, seaweed
Iron	Forms part of haemoglobin i.e. helps transport oxygen, other uses include cell reproduction	Egg, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish, prunes, seeds, seaweed, spinach, kale, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat
Magnesium	Energy production, hormone balance, muscle and nerve function, cardiovascular health, blood sugar balance, works with calcium	Brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, molasses
Manganese	Antioxidant, energy production, nerves and brain, blood sugar balance, thyroid function	Avocado, berries, buckwheat, ginger, hazelnuts, oats, seaweed spinach
Potassium	Works with sodium to control fluid balance, blood pressure, nerves, muscles	Avocado, banana, citrus fruit, lentils, nuts, sardines, spinach, whole grains
Selenium	Antioxidant, works with vitamin e, immunity, cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory	Fish, seeds, brown rice, oats, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds
Sulpher	Antioxidant, helps liver detox, collagen production, shin, hair, nails	Cabbage, egg, fish, garlic, onion
Zinc	Antioxidant, growth and development, all protein production, energy production, hormone production and balance, digestion, sexual function, skin health	Egg, fish, turkey, lamb, seeds, yogurt
Other essential nutrients	Nutrient for	Wonderfood sources
Essential Fatty Acid	As their name suggests, these are types of fat that the body cannot produce itself, so they must be obtained from food. They are needed for good hormone balance, healthy nerve and brain activity, smooth skin, cardiovascular health, they also have anti-inflammatory properties	Fish, seeds, nuts
Protein	These are molecules made of amino acids linked together in particular order specified by a gene. They are needed for the structure, function, and regulation of all the bodys cells and organs. Hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes, transporters, and immune cells are proteins	Egg, fish, turkey, chicken, lamb, yogurt, soya, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils
Carbohydrate	These are mainly sugars and starches that the body breaks down into glucose, a simple sugar used as fuel for the cells to make energy. They are found in sugar, all cereals, the wonderfoods listed to the right and other foods. The body also uses carbohydrate to make a substance called glycogen, which is stored in the body for future use.	All fruit and vegetables, rice, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, rye, sweet potatoes, lentils, beans, honey

Winter	Spring	Summer	Fall	Year Round
Apples_	Apricots_	Apricots_	Acorn Squash_	Avocados
Belgian	Artichokes_	Beets_	Apples_	Bananas
Endive_	Asparagus_	Bell Peppers_	Belgian Endive_	Cabbage
Bok Choy_	Broccoli_	Blackberries_	Bok Choy_	Carrots
Brussels Sprouts_	Chives_	Blueberries_	Broccoli_	Celery
Cherimoya_	Collard Greens_	Boysenberries_	Brussels Sprouts_	Lemons
Chestnuts_	English Peas_	Cantaloupe_	Butternut Squash_	Lettuce
Coconuts_	Fava Beans_	Casaba Melon_	Cauliflower_	Onions
Dates_	Fennel_	Cherries_	Celery Root_	Papayas
Grapefruit_	Fiddlehead _	Crenshaw Melon_	Chayote Squash_	Bell Peppers
Kale_	Green Beans_	Cucumbers_	Cherimoya_	Potatoes
Leeks_	Honeydew_	Eggplant_	Coconuts_
Mushrooms_	Mango_	Figs_	Cranberries_
Oranges_	Morel Mushrooms_	Garlic_	Diakon Radish_
Parsnips_	Mustard Greens_	Grapefruit_	Garlic_
Pear_	Oranges_	Grapes_	Ginger_
Persimmons_	Limes_	Green Beans_	Grapes_
Pummelo_	Pea Pods_	Green Peas_	Guava_
Radicchio_	Pineapple_	Honeydew Melons_	Huckleberries_
Red Currents_	Ramps_	Kiwifruit_	Kohlrabi_
Rutabagas_	Rhubarb_	Lima Beans_	Kumquats_
Sweet Potatoes_	Snow Peas_	Limes_	Mushrooms_
Tangerines_	Sorrel_	Loganberries_	Parsnips_
Turnips_	Spinach_	Nectarines_	Pear_
Winter Squash_	Spring Baby Lettuce_	Okra_	Persimmons_
Yams	Strawberries_	Peaches_	Pineapple
	Sweet Corn_	Persian Melons_	Pomegranate_
	Sugar Snap Peas_	Plums_	Pumpkin_
	Swiss Chard_	Radishes_	Quince_
	Vidalia Onions_	Raspberries_	Rutabagas_
	Watercress	Strawberries_	Sweet Potatoes_
		Sweet Corn_	Swish Chard
		Summer Squash_	_Turnips_
		Tomatillo_Tomatoes_	Winter Squash_
		Watermelon_	Yams
		Zucchini